CONGRATS UBPN 2023 Scholarship Winners!

CONGRATULATIONS! 

Nancy Birk Memorial TBPI 1st PLACE Rebecca Jensen

UBPN Academic TBPI 2nd PLACE Grace Fromme

Nancy Birk Memorial BPBI 1st PLACE Sarah Garrett

UBPN Academic BPBI 2nd PLACE Mathom Johnson

Read more: CONGRATS UBPN 2023 Scholarship Winners!

Camp UBPN 2024

Who is ready for some Camp UBPN 2024 Information!!!!! 

Registration is now active! (click here)

I wanted to get information to you so you can start planning!!! Also, if you are going to be flying to St. Louis, I suggest not waiting until later to book your flights! Last year going to Denver, the 3 months prior to camp the fares skyrocketed!!! I would book your airfare after you get registered, as soon as you find a good fare!!!!

Camp UBPN 2024!!!

Location: YMCA of the Ozarks, Potosi, Missouri

Dates: July 18 – 22, 2024 

CAMP UBPN 2024 is a family camp for all of those affected by brachial plexus injuries (adults and children). Speaker sessions include discussions with brachial plexus specialists and therapists, round table discussions for the injured, parents, and siblings, group and individual activities including rock wall climbing, swimming, water activities, archery, zip lining, and much more!

EVERYONE UNDER 18 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT!!! This is not a camp that you send your child to for the weekend without you!

The cost for camp will be $399 per person for ages 5 and up. Ages 4 and under will be $25. UBPN's goal is to have all of those injured attend for free, and our second goal is to have the family members attend for free, also! This will take a lot of fundraising!! The organization is working on some fundraising opportunities, but you can also come up with some of your own in your community. Here in my community, I have started an annual golf tournament. We need to raise at least $40,000 to cover the cost for the injured, and to cover all we need to raise at least $130,000. We can do it if we all work together!!! Everyone pays until goals are reached.

There are a few options for lodging:

GUEST ROOMS: Hotel style rooms that can accommodate up to 4 people. Each room has 2 queen beds. Bathroom with exterior sink and vanity. Table and chairs. Walkout balcony with seating and a lake view.

LOFT ROOMS: AVAILABLE FOR AN UPGRADE CHARGE OF $120 (19 AVAILABLE)

These rooms can accommodate up to 6 people. Upper Level has a couch and 2 roll-a-way beds, sink & vanity, table & chairs, small refrigerator. Lower Level has 2 queen beds, bathroom w/ exterior sink & vanity, balcony with lake view.

LAKE VIEW CABINS:AVAILABLE FOR AN UPGRADE CHARGE OF $600 (10 AVAILABLE)

(SIDE BY SIDE DUPLEX UNITS (ACCOMMODATES UP TO 5 PEOPLE ON EACH SIDE)

Each side has bedroom with full size bed, set of bunk beds and 2 roll-a-way beds, bathroom, living area with couch, table & chairs, stone fireplace, small refrigerator & microwave, screened-in wrap around porch.

FOREST VIEW CABINS: AVAILABLE FOR AN UPGRADE CHARGE OF $600 (9 AVAILABLE)

(SIDE BY SIDE DUPLEX UNITS (ACCOMMODATES UP TO 5 PEOPLE ON EACH SIDE)

Each side has bedroom with full size bed, set of bunk beds and 2 roll-a-way beds, bathroom, living area with couch, table & chairs, stone fireplace, small refrigerator & microwave, screened-in porch with rocking chairs.

THERE WILL BE A $75 NON-REFUNDABLE REGISTRATION FEE APPLIED TO EACH ROOM!!! If your family size requires more than one room, or if you choose more than one room you will have to pay the non-refundable $75 per room registration fee on each room.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

If you register, and then cancel BEFORE December 1, 2023, you can get what you have paid minus the $75 non-refundable registration fee.

If you cancel BEFORE February 1, 2024, you can get 50% of what you have paid for camp, not including the $75 non-refundable registration fee.

If you cancel AFTER April 1, 2024, you will forfeit all monies paid. You can transfer your spot to another family.

Any questions, contact Kimberly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Camp UBPN 2024

Who is ready for some Camp UBPN 2024 Information!!!!! 

Registration website will go live December 1!!! I wanted to get information to you so you can start planning!!! Also, if you are going to be flying to St. Louis, I suggest not waiting until later to book your flights! Last year going to Denver, the 3 months prior to camp the fares skyrocketed!!! I would book your airfare after you get registered, as soon as you find a good fare!!!!

UBPN Camp 2024!!!

Location: YMCA of the Ozarks, Potosi, Missouri

Dates: July 18 – 22, 2024

UBPN CAMP 2024 is a family camp for all of those affected by brachial plexus injuries (adults and children). Speaker sessions include discussions with brachial plexus specialists and therapists, round table discussions for the injured, parents, and siblings, group and individual activities including rock wall climbing, swimming, water activities, archery, zip lining, and much more!

EVERYONE UNDER 18 MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT!!! This is not a camp that you send your child to for the weekend without you!

The cost for camp will be $399 per person for ages 5 and up. Ages 4 and under will be $25. UBPN's goal is to have all of those injured attend for free, and our second goal is to have the family members attend for free, also! This will take a lot of fundraising!! The organization is working on some fundraising opportunities, but you can also come up with some of your own in your community. Here in my community, I have started an annual golf tournament. We need to raise at least $40,000 to cover the cost for the injured, and to cover all we need to raise at least $130,000. We can do it if we all work together!!! Everyone pays until goals are reached.

There are a few options for lodging:

GUEST ROOMS: Hotel style rooms that can accommodate up to 4 people. Each room has 2 queen beds. Bathroom with exterior sink and vanity. Table and chairs. Walkout balcony with seating and a lake view.

LOFT ROOMS: AVAILABLE FOR AN UPGRADE CHARGE OF $120 (19 AVAILABLE)

These rooms can accommodate up to 6 people. Upper Level has a couch and 2 roll-a-way beds, sink & vanity, table & chairs, small refrigerator. Lower Level has 2 queen beds, bathroom w/ exterior sink & vanity, balcony with lake view.

LAKE VIEW CABINS:AVAILABLE FOR AN UPGRADE CHARGE OF $600 (10 AVAILABLE)

(SIDE BY SIDE DUPLEX UNITS (ACCOMMODATES UP TO 5 PEOPLE ON EACH SIDE)

Each side has bedroom with full size bed, set of bunk beds and 2 roll-a-way beds, bathroom, living area with couch, table & chairs, stone fireplace, small refrigerator & microwave, screened-in wrap around porch.

FOREST VIEW CABINS: AVAILABLE FOR AN UPGRADE CHARGE OF $600 (9 AVAILABLE)

(SIDE BY SIDE DUPLEX UNITS (ACCOMMODATES UP TO 5 PEOPLE ON EACH SIDE)

Each side has bedroom with full size bed, set of bunk beds and 2 roll-a-way beds, bathroom, living area with couch, table & chairs, stone fireplace, small refrigerator & microwave, screened-in porch with rocking chairs.

THERE WILL BE A $75 NON-REFUNDABLE REGISTRATION FEE APPLIED TO EACH ROOM!!! If your family size requires more than one room, or if you choose more than one room you will have to pay the non-refundable $75 per room registration fee on each room.

CANCELLATION POLICY:

If you register, and then cancel BEFORE December 1, 2023, you can get what you have paid minus the $75 non-refundable registration fee.

If you cancel BEFORE February 1, 2024, you can get 50% of what you have paid for camp, not including the $75 non-refundable registration fee.

If you cancel AFTER April 1, 2024, you will forfeit all monies paid. You can transfer your spot to another family.

Any questions, contact Kimberly at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UBPN Annual Academic Scholarships

Program Information:

Through generous anonymous donations, the United Brachial Plexus Network (UBPN) grants 4 academic scholarships annually to individuals with Brachial Plexus Injuries attending college, trade school, and/or career retraining. Two (2) UBPN Nancy Birk Memorial Scholarships ($500 each) and two (2) UBPN Academic Scholarships ($250 each) will be awarded annually to the top four applicants:

• (2) Brachial Plexus Birth Injuries (BPBI, aka OBPI, Erb’s Palsy)
• (2) Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injuries (TBPI / non-birth related)

In the event there are less than two applicants from either injury category, the remaining scholarship(s) will be given to the next best applicants from the existing pool. Individuals can reapply each year they attend any of the above education programs. Winners from one year are not eligible to win first place the following year but can still be considered for the second place scholarship.

Scholarship applications for the 2024-2025 school year open:

February 1, 2024 - May 31, 2024

Applications will be reviewed by the Scholarship Committee and winners will be notified on or before August 15th.

This is an individual scholarship that may be reapplied for every year. 

***Click here to apply*** 

Questions please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Starting this year, the scholarship awarded to individuals with brachial plexus birth injuries will be called:

The UBPN Nancy Birk Memorial Scholarship.

Please keep reading to learn more about the namesake of this portion of our scholarship program.

Nancy Birk

August 1953 - October 2021

Nancy, born in Lowell, MA in 1953, was diagnosed with a paralyzed left arm, with all five ruptured plexus nerves and Horner’s syndrome as a result of a difficult birth.  Growing up, she knew she had Erb’s palsy and even visited Boston Children’s hospital as an infant for follow-up treatment.  She moved to Ohio when she was five where she had two surgeries at ages 9 and 11 similar to today’s tendon and muscle transfers at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital.  Nancy served UBPN in various functions from 1999 until 2009, including three years as Secretary and 6 years as President/Past President.  Nancy was one of the Founders of UBPN; she was there from the drafting of Articles of Incorporation and contributed to developing a mission statement and forming the vision of what UBPN would represent. 

Outside of UBPN, Nancy worked at Kent State where she was a faculty professor of Library and Media Services, serving as the University’s archivist and curator of special collections.  She also taught in the graduate school of library and information science.  Upon retirement from UBPN and Kent State, Nancy would also often travel to Greece where she had the position of the director of a library at the American College of Thessaloniki. Nancy met her husband Tim while at university as students, and together they raised their son Josh who now has his own children.

Nancy passed away in 2021 after a difficult battle with pancreatic cancer. She served UBPN on paper for 10 years, but she has been more to the BPI community for most of her life, traveling to speak at events and helping the Board of Directors for years past her retirement.  It is our honor going forward to name the UBPN scholarship for individuals with birth injuries in her name.  Starting with the 2022-2023 application, the scholarship will forever be known as the Nancy Birk UBPN Academic Scholarship.